JJ McCarthy has done it. He helped Jim Harbaugh put up another national title at Ann Arbor. The Michigan football quarterback took the long road and had to battle a Washington Huskies team that had another great offensive engine in Michael Penix Jr. His staple to get through the College Football Playoff National Championship game? A mindset so zen and composed unlike any. This dates way back to when he was younger and Devin Gardner even took notice.

“Imagine writing this as a high school kid when Michigan seems to be at its lowest, then promising that you will beat OSU, you will win a @B1Gfootball Championship, & you will also win a @CFBPlayoff National Championship and then delivering! Take a bow@jjmccarthy09! #BET,” Devin Gardner said as he was recalling what the high school standout promised.

Surely after a long time coming, JJ McCarthy delivered. He led air attacks with grit en route to an undefeated record up until the College Football Playoff National Championship. There were times when Jim Harbaugh could not be by the Michigan football sidelines but he stepped up as their leader.

While their win came with astounding performances by Blake Corum and Mike Sainstril, McCarthy was still the one running the offense. It took a lot of meditation on the gridiron and some heartbreaks from the year prior. But, all of that culminated with a gift to the Michigan football faithful that was 26 years in the making.

Truly, McCarthy will leave this program as a legend, not just to the current generations but also to the ones who paved his path.